


It's Always Fair Weather

by cutesudon



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternative Universe - Roller Skating, And they're crushing so hard, First Dates, M/M, Mutual Pining, Romantic Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Victor is a dork, Yuuri is also a dork
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-27 06:57:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12576228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cutesudon/pseuds/cutesudon
Summary: Yuuri never imagined he'd meet someone as wonderful as Victor in a class as dull as Art History, presenting a shitpost of a work in front of his whole class.Let alone that be lucky enough to be asked on a series of dates by said classmate.





	It's Always Fair Weather

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a very soft, very dorky and very sweet AU for these two boys in love~  
> [Mixspixs](http://mixspixs.tumblr.com/) made [this lovely art](https://mixspixs.tumblr.com/post/166991014006/here-it-is-my-artwork-for-this-years-victuuri) to go with my fic! Thank you so much <3

Yuuri stood in front of his classmates with his heart in his throat, legs trembling like newborn calves. After _years_ of classes at university – presenting papers, PowerPoint presentations and participating in seminars – he thought that the stage-fright would wear off at some point. He wasn’t even intimidated by his classmates – he knew most of them from previous classes or from the school restaurant. He knew they were all nice people, and even the unfamiliar faces didn’t pose any real threat, fumbling on their phones or doodling on their notebooks, not bothering to spare a single thought on his nervous figure.

There was nothing to be scared of. Except that his professor had a _reputation._ She wasn’t evil per se, but nothing ever seemed to please her, nothing was quite to her liking, and she had this way of staring right into her students’ souls that would make the bravest man tremble on his feet as she scrutinized them with her piercing green eyes.

Ms. Baranovskaya sat right in front of him, in the first row, and Yuuri noticed he’d never thought that the simple act of crossing one’s legs could be so intimidating.

Yuuri had a real passion for the theme of his work. Art History was supposed to be one of the most interesting classes in his curriculum, and yet Ms. Baranovskaya had managed to make it _boring_ , as dull as a butter knife. She was a terrific researcher for all he knew, but her classes were so _bad_ even people from other courses had heard about them. So his excitement ended when he remembered that she had been teaching this class for _years_ , and had probably seen more presentations on this subject than he could conceive, but his stubbornness kept him moving forward, determined to give his classmates the best class they’d had all semester.

He would be lying if he said that spite hadn’t been one of his greatest motivators when planning his presentation. If it wasn’t for his other classmates, Yuuri would know _nothing_ about Art History because Dr. Baranovskaya’s teaching methods revolved around reading 30-years-old publications that she didn’t bother updating and looking at paintings without any historical background for their artistic movements.

For the lack of a better word, Dr. Baranovskaya’s classes were _lackluster._ And Yuuri wasn’t one to do those sorts of things, but he found himself taking notes over what he disliked about her classes to add to the anonymous class survey he’d have to fill at the end of the semester. That, and to make sure he could give a presentation that would actually teach something.

Setting up his PowerPoint was almost a challenge with his trembling hands, but Yuuri managed to get it all ready rather quickly. As he stood next to the big screen, his eyes were instantly drawn towards a familiar pair he’d been exchanging gazes with since the beginning of the semester.

He didn’t know the student’s name, but he always sat by himself next to the window, alone and thoughtful, keeping to himself while students around him would all group and talk before class started. He had gorgeous handwriting (not that Yuuri had stalked him or anything, he’d just _noticed_ it one day!) and an even more gorgeous smile. They’d exchanged looks throughout the semester, playing a coy game of watching without being watched, always blushing when one got caught.

Yuuri hadn’t mastered the courage to go talk to him yet – he couldn’t think of a good enough reason to – but there was something soothing about his presence that Yuuri was grateful for. Despite not knowing him, Yuuri felt like this classmate was cheering him on, sending silent encouragement that helped Yuuri feel more centered and less scatter-brained.

Clicking the remote in his hand made the richly edited title slide pop up on the big screen, an intricate Photoshop montage that he made with Phichit’s help. Cut-out letters in different fonts and colors and a retro-like version of an old meme replaced with the face of one of the most notorious artists from that movement decorated his first slide, reading _Here Comes Dada Boy. Oh Shit, What’s Art?_

Some people giggled in the classroom, nodding and exchanging impressions under their breath. The professor remained relatively impassive, though a bit annoyed at the laughter behind her.

His eyes found his classmate’s again, who now had an adorable smile on his lips as he snapped a picture of Yuuri’s title slide. Yuuri found himself smiling back a little, cheeks blushing.

“So, uh…” Yuuri fidgeted with his coat. “Hello. Good morning. I’m Yuuri, and this is my—“

“Speak up. I can’t hear you,” the professor grumbled.

Yuuri took a deep breath, focusing his eyes on the cute classmate, who was giving Yuuri his full attention. Usually, Yuuri would feel slightly nervous to address a classroom with someone paying such close attention to him, but something about that fair-haired classmate gave him a confidence boost.

“Hello, everyone,” he said, louder this time. “My name is Yuuri Katsuki and this is my presentation about Dadaism.”

Even though he knew the exact order of slides – and had a printed version in his hands, rolled in a tube now – Yuuri couldn’t help stammering as he took a look at his introductory slide on the screen. He stumbled over his words a little as he clarified his proposal, but his classmates didn’t seem to mind that, curious about the second segment of his PowerPoint where he compared some of the Dadaism traits with Internet culture.

Eyes flickered between Yuuri and the presentation behind him as Yuuri went on autopilot, explaining the effects of World War II on that generation of artists. He tried to ignore his professor’s face, who was looking at his work like it smelled foul, focusing all of his attention on what he knew and his nameless classmate’s comforting eyes. He was smiling, nodding as Yuuri offered insights on what was happening around the world in that particular era.

Dr. Baranovskaya, sitting right in front of him, looked bored to _death_ , and Yuuri couldn’t help wondering if this was how she felt on a regular basis, or if she had some secret to powering through hours worth of subjects without letting the bored faces get to her. Behind her, though, his classmates seemed a bit interested, taking a few notes and generally looking in his direction. Whenever he felt the slightest tinge of anxiety creeping up on him, Yuuri sought his classmate’s expression, feeling his anxiety lessen as he felt the silent validation from across the classroom.  

Most of his presentation went in a blur. Yuuri forgot about time, but he vaguely remembered getting more participation from his classmates when he asked pertinent questions about the famous works from that movement than Dr. Baranovskaya ever got throughout the whole semester. Not only that, but his classmates seemed to love it when he started the comparison between modern culture and Dadaism, showing memes and videos for his classmates, completely ignoring the sour looks he was receiving from his professor.

It was all going too well, though. Yuuri had to flop it somehow.

“… Sometimes older people don’t get this kind of humor that we, who spend a lot of time on the Internet, are able to understand with ease…”

Oh, yeah. Dr. Baranovskaya felt that, and even though that shade had been completely unintentional it was now too late to explain himself. She _was_ , though, looking particularly confused as Yuuri brought a bunch of _shitposts_ that had all of his classmates laughing while she frowned. If Yuuri hadn’t failed, that comment would definitely grant him a big round zero for his grade.

Regardless, his classmates seemed to love it, applauding him as he concluded his presentation with a renewed vigor as if to convey a message. Yuuri politely excused himself, picking his materials and returning to his desk, offering a coy smile at the cute classmate who repeated his applause silently as Yuuri got back to his seat.

Dr. Baranovskaya hadn’t given him any commentary on his presentation, and Yuuri was feeling slightly worried about that. She continued with her class, still on the subject of Dadaism, though it was clear that her class wasn’t listening to her with the same interest as they had been with Yuuri. He tried not to worry too much about his grade, focusing solely on the good job he’d done.

Forty minutes later class was dismissed, and Yuuri packed his materials while some classmates came up to him congratulating him on the great examples he’d brought to class, mentioning how memorable his work had been. Yuuri accepted the praises with red cheeks but feeling extremely proud of his work. It was good to know his classmates at least had had a good time.

He hooked his backpack over one shoulder and headed out of the classroom, secretly wishing to avoid any more contact with his classmates that included saying the words  _thank you_ over and over. Yuuri appreciated the feeling, but he was still awkward with compliments.

Yuuri thought he’d escaped successfully from the classroom when he heard an unfamiliar voice coming from behind him.

“Hey! Yuuri!”

Yuuri looked over his shoulder, feeling his heart do a flip in his chest. It was the classmate he’d been staring at. To Yuuri’s dismay, he was even  _cuter_ up close, a constellation of freckles spreading across his nose and cheeks that were lightly flushed pink.

He wasn’t sure how a person could look  _soft_ , and yet the guy standing in front of him with blushing cheeks and an adorable smile was the very definition of it. Those blue eyes looked even deeper up close, now that he had a green scarf wrapped around his neck – the kind of scarf that was long enough to comfortably wrap two people in it, Yuuri noticed. His fingers danced nervously on his bag’s strap across his chest as he waited for a greeting, and only then Yuuri noticed he was staring at this guy with parted lips.

“Oh, hi?”

That had sounded more confident in his mind.

“Your work! Wow…” The pretty guy continued, flashing that gorgeous smile (Yuuri blushed again). “It was… Amazing! Really.”

“Thanks,” Yuuri smiled back, feeling his ears burning under his beanie.

“I’ve taken this class a couple of times before, and I’m not exaggerating when I say yours was the best presentation I’ve seen at university!”

If Yuuri didn’t know any better he’d say this guy was as nervous as him.

“Oh, wow, thank you!” Those words were feeling repetitive, but Yuuri was pretty sure this was the first time he actually meant them. “Yeah… This class has a reputation, doesn’t it? How many times have you taken it?”

“Twice,” he shrugged in embarrassment. “Third time's the charm, right? But this time I’m resolute in finishing it. Otherwise, I just can’t graduate. I’ve been postponing this class in the hopes she would retire or…” He waved his hand dismissively, letting the message across, and Yuuri laughed at the suggestion.

“Well… Good luck! You’ve taken this class twice more than anyone should.”

He laughed, looking at his feet in a way Yuuri couldn’t wrap his head around. How could he be so cute?

“This time it’s not so bad. I’m having way more fun than I’ve had in my previous attempts.”

Yuuri’s mouth moved, but no sound came out of it. Thankfully, his classmate seemed to be a nervous talker.

“I was thinking…” He stammered, running his fingers through the silver strands of his hair, distracting Yuuri with that simple gesture. “Would you… Will you—Are you going to have lunch now?”

“Not really.”

It took Yuuri a few seconds to process what the question was as he watched that cute face frown in disappointment, before being quickly hidden with a smile that didn’t quite reach his blue eyes. He quickly backtracked.

“Ah! I—I mean… I—I don’t usually have lunch, I just… I skip it,” he stuttered, vaguely noticing the way he waved his hands as he explained himself. “I cross the campus and go to the rink instead, and I grab something to eat on my way back but… Uh… Are you—Are you going to have lunch now?”

Watching his classmate’s expression change from disappointment to renewed hope was like watching one of those time-lapse videos of flowers in bloom. It was impossible to miss how his smile started in his eyes,  the way his eyebrows raised slightly as his eyes filled with hope, and excitement tugged at the corners of his mouth. Yuuri didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but the way his classmate’s face lit up in genuine joy had his heart beating faster.

“Y-Yeah, I was thinking… We could have lunch together if you don’t mind?” He asked with a timid voice. “But if you’re busy I—”

“No, no, no! It’s fine,” Yuuri laughed nervously, and  _god_ he needed to stop waving his hands like that. “Please, have lunch with me.”

Yuuri was sure his face was as red as their professor’s lipstick, smiling to the point where his cheeks hurt.

“I would love that!” He beamed a smile that was adorably shaped like a heart, and Yuuri felt like he’d never been smiled at with such sincere happiness before. “Now! Mm…” He paused, resting his finger on his lips, tapping them gently. Yuuri caught himself getting distracted again. “Where would you like to eat?”

Yuuri said the first thing that came to mind:

“I… normally eat at the university’s restaurant…”

Which was a lie, and a bad one. Eating at the university’s restaurant was a free pass to the hospital, and a really poor choice for a date – if this was a date. Preferring not to be laid up with indigestion, Yuuri rarely ate on campus. When he did, it was always homemade food poorly heated in his school’s cafeteria microwave.

Tapping his finger on his lower lip, the guy seemed to ponder alternatives.

“You must have a pretty resistant immune system,” he hummed, the comment almost flying over Yuuri’s head. “I know it’s the cheapest option but…” he trailed off, “Have you tried the Business School restaurant? They’re not very expensive, and their spaghetti is to die for. How does that sound?”

 _‘Like a date’_ almost slipped out. He caught himself before it could, luckily. Yuuri didn’t want to make things weird in case the guy just wanted some company for lunch.

He nodded instead, his lips spreading into a smile as he watched his classmate’s enthusiasm as Yuuri accepted the offer.

“I have a condition, though.”

The guy paused, looking at him expectantly.

“I’d… like to know your name first.”

Yuuri couldn’t decide what he liked best – this guy’s heart-shaped smile or his adorable look of surprise.

“You don’t _know_ ?” He echoed, and before Yuuri could feel guilt creep over him he realized he was  _smirking_ , crossing his arms over his chest. “We’ve been classmates for _months_ , Yuuri!”

The way his voice seemed to caress the vowels of his name – how he rolled the R in his tongue, rich in that accent Yuuri found himself growing fond of – had him blushing again. Yuuri knew he had the advantage – he’d said his name twice for his classmates within the last hour, but his classmate hadn’t presented  _his_ work yet, and was rather silent in class. Narrowing his eyes, Yuuri copied his pose.

“Did you know _my_ name before my presentation today?” He asked, good-humored. If his eyes did not fail him, Yuuri saw him blush.

“Maybe,” he answered, a cheeky smile on his lips as he offered his hand. “I’m Victor. Nice to meet you.”

Yuuri gave his hand a shake and he’d be lying if he didn’t admit he wanted to keep holding his hand. Victor was soft indeed.

“Hi, Victor,” Yuuri answered, savoring his name. “So… Let’s grab lunch?”

 

* * *

 

The Business School restaurant had a nice ambiance around it, very simple but much nicer-looking than the restaurants Yuuri usually went to when he was desperate for a coffee. It had big mirrors all around it, two floors and large windows that opened to the communal garden. They ordered spaghetti and picked a table next to the windows on the second floor, which wasn’t so packed and a bit quieter.

Talking to Victor was easy, but Yuuri couldn’t help feeling slightly nervous. Victor was  _dashing_ , charming without needing to make an effort (and Yuuri had to wonder what Victor saw on him that made him want to hang out), but what was really making Yuuri fall for him was how adorable Victor looked whenever Yuuri tried to flirt back. Yuuri was subtle and shy, preferring to take it easy on his suggestive remarks, but his efforts weren’t going unnoticed if Victor’s blush was any indication.

He learned that Victor was a literature major with a passion for arts and history, having paused his studies for an exchange program in Paris and returned last semester with a renewed resolution to finish his studies and travel around the world. Victor would graduate in a year, and that fact made Yuuri want to hurry his studies so they could graduate together – wouldn’t it be nice, they both wondered.

Once they received their food they fell into silence, though not an uncomfortable one. They ate quietly, exchanging a few impressions and asking mild questions over forkfuls of delicious spaghetti. Yuuri used the breaks in conversation to observe him, learn things about Victor that maybe Victor didn’t know about himself (details he was sure were almost a bit creepy). He had a funny way of holding his utensils that Yuuri had never seen before, and he’d run his fingers through his bangs before he came up with something to say – a question or a simple remark. It was easy to get comfortable around him, and Victor seemed to grow more comfortable each time Yuuri made him laugh with his witty remarks.

“Wait—You have a dog?” Victor interrupted Yuuri’s story at the mention, barely swallowing his forkful of spaghetti and getting sauce all over his chin. “A _poodle_?”

Yuuri laughed at the sight, fishing his phone from his pocket.

“Do you want to see him?”

“Of course I do!” Victor did a poor job of cleaning the sauce from his face, still leaving a splatter on his chin. “I have one too! A standard poodle. His name is Makkachin!”

“Ah, I want to see him too!” Yuuri smiled, sliding his phone on the table for Victor to have a look. He crooned, covering his mouth as if he was about to cry.

“He’s so cute! What a good boy!”

Victor’s knee brushed casually against his as he leaned to have a look at Yuuri’s phone, and for a moment Yuuri thought about pulling his knee back, avoiding the potential awkwardness of the touch. But Victor didn’t seem to mind. He didn’t react to the accidental touch in any way, which left Yuuri wondering if it had been unintentional or not. Too soon, Victor sat back in his seat and put a little distance between them, although Yuuri could still feel his foot next to his, conquering some of the personal space.

Yuuri decided he didn’t mind it at all.

“This is Makkachin,” Victor said, offering Yuuri the full album in his phone. “He’s a big baby. He’d sleep all day if I let him.”

“Your dog is so relatable,” Yuuri chuckled, swiping through the pictures. Victor was a good photographer and a very passionate poodle owner.

“You think—“

Victor cut off suddenly. When Yuuri looked up, Victor’s gaze was lost somewhere in the garden below them, the blue of his eyes reminding Yuuri too much of an icy lake, deep and mysterious, and covered only by a thin veneer of calm. He sighed, shaking his head with a tired smile.

He wondered what Victor stopped himself from saying. Yuuri wanted to press, eager to listen to whatever was in his mind so he could get to know Victor.

“Yes?” Yuuri dared, just a little.

“Nevermind. It’s just…” Victor waved his hand dismissively, clearly shoving a thought aside. A flash of sadness crossed his eyes, and Yuuri felt his shoulders slump.

Not wanting to make things awkward, Yuuri felt the urge to blurt out the first thing that came to mind.

“You…” Yuuri pointed at his own chin, gesturing where Victor still had smeared spaghetti sauce. It was cute, but he thought he should let Victor know considering they were done with their lunch.

Looking at him in confusion, Victor touched the clean side of his chin, then laughing as Yuuri shook his head and touched the other side of his own face. Rubbing his finger on the dried sauce, Victor mumbled something about embarrassing himself, making Yuuri giggle.

“Is it clean now?” He asked, turning his face so Yuuri could see.

“N-no,” Yuuri laughed.

“Damn, it,” Victor sighed. “I’m like a toddler eating. It’s amazing I didn’t manage to get any sauce on my clothes.”

“Wait, let me…”

It was more of a knee-jerk reaction than anything. Yuuri swiped his finger on the dew of his cup and took it to Victor face, gently cupping it as he rubbed his chin clean. As he looked back, he found a blush spreading all over Victor’s cheeks, his eyes wide like saucers staring back at Yuuri in a mix of shock and awe that was incredibly cute. It had been a forward thing to do, but something Yuuri couldn’t stop himself from doing.

“There you go,” Yuuri said sweetly, figuring he was probably blushing as hard as Victor.

Victor looked back at him with his eyes wide in surprise and cheeks burning, bringing his hand to touch where Yuuri had touched in an unconscious gesture. His surprise kind of made Yuuri want to laugh, not because it looked silly but because he couldn’t believe anyone could be that lovely and get away with it.

“Do you want to grab a coffee with me?” Victor blurted out, raising his eyebrows and covering his mouth as he realized what he’d just said.

Yuuri couldn’t resist. He laughed, pushing his glasses up his nose.

“Y-You don’t have to, of course,” Victor blabbered, playing with his scarf. “I was just thinking… You’re cool and… If you’re not doing anything else between classes we could… If you like…”

“Yeah…” Yuuri smiled, deliberately bumping his knee on Victor’s under the table. “I… I want to have a coffee with you.”

“Now?” Victor asked, raising an eyebrow and smiling in a way that made Yuuri’s heart skip a beat.

“Whenever you like,” he replied in earnest, and the realization that Victor hadn’t moved his knee away made anticipation burn in his chest.

“Join me for coffee, Yuuri,” Victor invited, his voice dropping to a low, soft tone that almost sounded like a plea, and there was nothing in the world that could make Yuuri say no.

 

* * *

 

They walked slowly to what Victor promised was one of the nicest coffee shops on the campus, as he told Yuuri about one time he’d been struggling with exams and nothing else would keep him awake. It was a new place that not many people knew of, especially considering it was located in one of the quieter parts of campus.

It was a bit far from the Business School, but neither of them were in a hurry. They had class soon, but the thought of skipping class to spend the afternoon getting to know each other was pretty tempting, especially once they got to the cute little shop. The inviting ambiance, with soft couches and cozy lighting made it the perfect place to escape when you needed a break from your studies, and Yuuri caught himself imagining Victor slumped into one of those couches, his slender figure comfortably contorted with a book in his hands.

Yuuri ordered a traditional cappuccino, while Victor spent a couple of minutes deciding between traditional and hazelnut mocha, finally setting on hazelnut mocha with extra cinnamon. Once they had their drinks, they plopped into one of the comfy-looking loveseats, sitting closer than people who just met usually would. Their knees casually bumped and their thighs brushed, but neither thought about moving away, secretly enjoying the wordless flirtation.

“So…” Victor broke the silence, lips close to the brim of his coffee cup. The curve of his cupid’s bow was one of the most beautiful Yuuri had ever seen, and that wasn’t something he paid special attention to. “You mentioned going to the rink during your lunch breaks.You practice?”

“Yeah,” Yuuri sighed, making steam cling to his glasses and making Victor laugh. “I usually go twice a week, during my lunch breaks. There aren’t many people using the rink in those hours so they let me practice a bit.”

“You shouldn’t skip your lunch to go skating,” Victor commented in a playful tone, making Yuuri roll his eyes. “I practice too,” Victor smiled at him, taking a sip from his coffee. “But I go in the evenings. Do you do artistic roller skating as well?”

Yuuri nodded. “I used to skate on the ice when I was... back home. Roller skating is a lot of fun, but kind of scary at times.”

Victor made a noise of agreement, looking at Yuuri fondly from the corner of his eye. “We could skate together sometime…”

The thought of it filled Yuuri’s heart with anticipation. “That would be great,” he admitted, smiling to his coffee. “What level are you on?”

Victor shrugged, placing his empty cup on the table. “I’m moving to advanced next month, but I don’t feel ready for it,” he chuckled. “You?”

“Oh… I’m an intermediate. I’m still having some trouble with 3-turns and Salchows.”

Victor winked at that, leaning over the table and nudging his arm.

“I can teach you some tricks if you want. Coach you to advanced level,” he teased, making Yuuri blush harder.

Yuuri wouldn’t mind spending more time with him one bit.

Checking his phone, Victor let out a soft sigh. “I think I should go to class now. We’re having a mock-exam today,” he said, disappointment barely concealed in his face, and something about it made Yuuri feel flattered. It wasn’t common for him to hang out with new people and get along so well on a first… date. Or whatever this was. It filled him with glee to know Victor enjoyed his company.

“I should go as well,” Yuuri agreed, placing his empty cup next to Victor’s and brushing his hair away from his forehead. “I, uh… I had a lot of fun hanging out with you today,” he smiled, almost drowning in Victor’s eyes as he held his gaze. “Do you, um, want my phone number? So we can schedule a… –” he almost said _date_ “–practice together.”

Raising his eyebrows in delight, Victor nodded at his offer, eagerly pulling his phone from his pocket and handing it to Yuuri so they could exchange numbers. After their quick coffee break, Yuuri accompanied Victor to his classroom, waving goodbye to him before heading to his own.

 

* * *

 

From then on classes were much more fun. They would meet up for coffees and lunches and would text every day, exchanging pictures of their dogs and commentaries on how their classes were going.

It was adorable. Every time Yuuri’s phone vibrated with a message his heart filled with warmth and positive emotions, making a smile bloom on his lips when he saw Victor’s name on the screen.

Victor was a sweet person and Yuuri was falling – hard and  _fast_. Unlike with most people, Yuuri didn’t feel awkward when he tried to flirt with Victor. It actually felt almost natural, friendly but with an element of romance that Yuuri had tried to dismiss at first as politeness. However, the more they talked, in person and through texts, the more impossible it was for Yuuri to ignore Victor’s attempts at flirting.

It had caused him a bit of confusion at first – Victor, a person so beautiful he could as well be a runway model for some expensive brand, interested in the most averagelooking person Yuuri knew? But it had gotten to a point it was literally  _i_ _mpossible_ to read it any other way. When he asked Phichit about it, his friend just tilted his head back and laughed for a solid minute.

“That guy is one hundred percent smitten, Yuuri _,_ ” he’d said, proceeding to list all the signals that spelled how irredeemably in love Victor was with him.

And while Yuuri agreed, he couldn’t help but wonder  _why_ Victor wouldn’t make a move. It had been weeks since their first lunch together, and after that, they had continued to meet regularly, sometimes with other classmates and friends, but mostly just the two of them. It gave them opportunities to get to know each other better, fall in love with new details they learned about each other, sometimes brush their knees under the table or, more frequently now, brush the back of their hands as they walked side by side.

But they hadn’t gone skating together. Yuuri didn’t want to press it, but Victor never brought it up again, and for a while he thought that might have been just a courtesy, not something he actually meant.

“Why are you waiting on him for this, though?” Phichit asked him before shoving a handful of popcorn in his mouth. “ _Mayth uh firsh moof._ ”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full, Phichit,” Yuuri sighed, glancing at his friend.

“I mean, yeah,” Phichit said, finally. “It was his idea, but both of you already go to the rink. And he’s the one inviting you to grab lunch, have coffee, spend time together between classes,” he kept listing, examining a particularly big kernel. “You haven’t hung out outside school yet, have you?”

“No…”

Yuuri observed the doodle on his notebook. It had a heart-shaped smile that reminded him of…

“Damn it, Yuuri!” Phichit rolled off the couch, sauntering to the kitchen with a smile splattered on his face. “There you have it! Invite him, find an excuse to hold his hands, gaze into his eyes and, I don’t know, tell him you don’t know how to skate and fall in his arms.”

Yuuri laughed, circling his doodle with a heart.

“He already knows I’m an intermediate. I won’t fool him.”

“Then… Tell him you want to do pair skating,” Phichit walked back into the living room with a mug of coffee for Yuuri, placing it on the table and earning a thumbs-up from his friend. “Honestly, Yuuri, it doesn’t have to be that difficult. You like him. He  _obviously_ likes you back. Just ask him out, fall in love, and ride off together into the sunset. I know it’s hard but you’ll be grateful for it later.”

Yuuri sat on the couch, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands. He said nothing, eyes wandering the living room as he took Phichit’s words into consideration.

“OK.”

“OK what?” His friend echoed.

“I’ll ask him on a _date_ ,” Yuuri said, savoring the word as he used it. “I’ll… I’ll use that word. ‘Hey, Victor, let’s go on a _date_. You and me’. A _real_ date. We’ll hold hands and...”

Phichit laughed, nodding slowly with a soft smile on his lips.

“Alright, you do that, Don Juan. Woo your future boyfriend.”

 

* * *

 

[To Victor ( **´ ♡ `** )♡ ]

<<< **You sent an attachment**

<<< _Have you seen this? There’s going to be an open day at the rink this Sunday!_

[From Victor ( **´ ♡ `** )♡ ]

>>> _OMG! This is exciting!_

>>> _Are you going to be free on the weekend?_ （*’♡’人）♥

[To Victor ( **´ ♡ `** )♡ ]

<<< _Yes!_ (o˘◡˘o)

<<< _I was thinking we could go together and skate like we thought before._

 

Yuuri took a deep breath, his heart racing in his chest.

 

[To Victor ( **´ ♡ `** )♡ ]

<<< _Like… as a date._

<<<  (〃▽〃)

 

There was silence from Victor after he’d visualized the message. He was online still, and Yuuri felt his heart racing in his chest. Had he misinterpreted Victor, perhaps? Did he only think of Yuuri as a friend? Had he fucked up?

 

 _Victor_ _(_ **_´ ♡ `_ ** _)♡ is typing…_

 

Yuuri held his breath, trying to keep calm. If Victor didn’t want to go on a date with him it was fine. They could be just friends. It wasn’t the end of the world…

 

[From Victor ( **´ ♡ `** )♡ ]

>>>（＊ノ **♡** ｀＊）ノ

>>> _Yuu~ri!!!!!_

>>> _You want to go on a date with me????_

 

Yuuri’s limbs were trembling like they were made of jelly. He didn’t know what to make of that.

 

[To Victor ( **´ ♡ `** )♡ ]

<<< _I’d like to…_

 

He was halfway through typing a lengthy message that had been erased and rewritten a couple of times when Victor sent him a new message.

 

[From Victor ( **´ ♡ `** )♡ ]

>>> _OMG Yuuri_

>>> _Of course!!_

>>> _I’d love to go on a date with you!!_ ヽ(*´♡`)ﾉﾞ

 

Yuuri had to drop his phone on his bed and take in deep breaths to calm down. It wasn’t an anxiety attack – thankfully, it was something  _much_ better than that. Excitement was coursing through his veins and making him tremble from head to toe, the prospect of going on a date with Victor making warmth spread all over his body, cheeks in blossom and a silly smile spreading so quickly that his cheeks hurt. He hadn’t felt  _this_ happy in a long time, he noticed, giggling like a schoolgirl as he picked his phone back up to read the new messages.

 

[From Victor ( **´ ♡ `** )♡ ]

>>> _I was thinking you just wanted to hang out at uni_

>>> _Which is fine, of course!! But I had been wanting to take you on a date and I wasn’t sure if you wanted it..._

>>> _I’m so glad you asked me out, Yuuri_ ☆ヾ(*´♡｀)ﾉ

 

His hands were _sweating_. He couldn’t quite believe what he’d just read either, so Yuuri cleaned his glasses on his sweater before reading Victor’s messages again, covering his mouth to suppress a loud giggle from surfacing.  

 

[To Victor ( **´ ♡ `** )♡ ]

<<< _I’ve been meaning to ask you out but I didn’t have the courage to…_

[From Victor ( **´ ♡ `** )♡ ]

>>> _I’m so glad you did!_ ♡

>>> _Can’t wait for Sunday now_ ﾟ･✿ヾ╲(｡´♡｀｡)╱✿･ﾟ

 

* * *

 

The three days until Sunday  _dragged_ , not only because they were excited about their date, but also because it had been impossible to meet for their usual lunches beforehand. They still texted every day, good morning texts with strings of heart emojis attached to them and quadruple good night texts because they kept saying they’d go to sleep but kept talking. Their texts had grown to be increasingly more lovey-dovey, sometimes slipping some cute nicknames here and there that made Yuuri cover his face because he didn’t know how to handle that much cuteness. He was feeling much more confident now that he knew Victor wanted to take things further, even though there was a little anxiety that came with it.

Yuuri was in both heaven and hell. He’d never felt so happy, so at peace with someone like when he was with Victor, but he couldn’t help feeling anxious about their date, even though he knew everything would be fine. It was a nervousness that ran cold down his chest but made him want to giggle at the same time.

When Sunday came, Yuuri could barely contain his anxiety. He’d have gone to the rink hours early if that meant meeting Victor sooner, getting to hug him and fill his lungs with his scent, hold him in his arms  _knowing_ that Victor liked him back. He made sure to dress as nicely as possible, asking for Phichit’s help to decide on a look that was both functional and cute.

Yuuri had put a lot of effort in his outfit, but nothing could have prepared him for when he saw Victor at the rink’s gates.

One thing Yuuri had noticed about Victor was that he was unconsciously fashionable, but when he laid eyes on him, Yuuri knew that _this_ was Victor  _trying_ , and he was at a loss for words. He had combined elegant clothes that were suitable for a nice date with comfortable clothes, ideal for skating, that happened to hug all of his ass and thighs in an almost obscene way. Yuuri found himself cursing Victor’s coat for hiding most of it even though it was Victor’s only way of keeping warm.

Yuuri wouldn’t mind keeping him warm himself, though.

“Hey,” Victor smiled nervously as Yuuri approached, hugging Yuuri tightly once he stepped close enough, and _god_ he smelled nice. Yuuri really wouldn’t be opposed to hugging him for the rest of the afternoon.

“Hi, Victor,” Yuuri said, finally, as he stepped back to look at him

Victor’s cheeks had that lovely blush under his scattered freckles.

“I… I’ve been meaning to say this for a while now, but you can call me Vitya,” he said, running his fingers through his hair and, wow, Yuuri was gaping at him. “It’s, um, more intimate.”

Victor wanted to grow more intimate with him. Yuuri could barely wrap his head around the meaning of that.

“OK,” Yuuri slurred, inebriated by Victor’s dazzling smile, “Vitya.”

“I like how it sounds in your accent,” he heard Victor murmur, shifting his weight from one leg to the other as if he didn’t know what to do around Yuuri.

Yuuri understood his awkwardness too well. He, too, was standing close to a gorgeous man, unsure of what to do next.

“Come on,” Victor said, offering his hand to Yuuri. “Let’s grab our skates and do some warm-up laps!”

The place was packed with people from all over the city making use of its large size. They walked in holding hands and Yuuri felt himself blushing as he noticed people’s eyes on them, but he didn’t feel embarrassed at all. It was a _date_ , and Yuuri couldn’t wrap his head around how perfectly his hand seemed to fit in Victor’s. His hand was soft and warm, and it made Yuuri feel indescribably safe as Victor lead him to the reception.

There was no trouble in getting their skates and finding a locker for them, and while they were in silence as they shed their coats and kicked their shoes off it wasn’t uncomfortable.

Yuuri made a quick mental note to thank the Gods of Skating for granting skaters amazing asses. Victor’s, in particular.

Before Yuuri knew it, Victor was holding his hand again, guiding him to the rink as he glided smoothly on his wheels. His smile was warm like a spring breeze as he glanced over his shoulder to look at Yuuri, who felt his heart beat faster as he moved to follow.

Victor was an _amazing_ skater. They started off by doing warm-up laps around the rink, letting their hands go at first but holding hands again at some point on the second lap. Victor seemed to exert _no_ effort, gliding majestically, his eyes finding Yuuri’s and smiling gently as he turned to skate backward.

“Do figures with me,” Victor invited, and though his voice was smooth Yuuri could feel a tinge of nervousness in it. “Like in pair skating.”

“Oh, I— I don’t know any…”

Skating with Victor was a rather dangerous thing to do, Yuuri noticed. His legs trembled every time Victor smiled at him, making it difficult to stay steady on his skates despite his familiarity with them.

“Well, then I’ll teach you,” Victor replied, nudging Yuuri to skate a little faster as he looked over his shoulder, watching for other people. “Let’s do a spiral together. Just hold my hands, let’s try not to push or pull so it’s easier to keep our balance.”

“OK,” Yuuri nodded. He could do spirals. Forward spirals were easy.

Paying close attention to Victor, Yuuri followed his move, leaning forward and raising his right leg in the air, careful not to push Victor as he got into his position. It was relatively easy, and holding their positions was fairly easy even on the curve.

It was when Yuuri looked back at Victor that he realized how _close_ his face was. Yuuri had never looked at him from this close, and he found himself mesmerized by Victor’s beauty. His freckles spread across his cheek, his skin pale against them like afterthoughts of a constellation. His long, fair lashes framed icy, deep blue eyes that Yuuri felt could unveil Victor’s deepest secrets. His lips were thin, delicate, his cupid’s bow shaped perfectly like a heart, smiling softly at him—

Blood rushed to his face at the realization he’d been _staring_ at Victor. His lips had parted, a soft gasp escaping them once Victor smiled, wrinkling the corners of his eyes as he acknowledged that Yuuri had been irredeemably lost in thought for god knows how long.

“Beautiful,” Victor murmured as they came back from their position, still holding hands like they didn’t know how to let go.

“Yeah…” Yuuri agreed absentmindedly, very much aware that he wasn’t talking about their skating. He still couldn’t take his eyes from Victor, and Victor didn’t seem to bother looking at anyone else except him. “What do you want to do now?”

Victor shrugged, wetting his lips as he turned around to skate forward.

“We could do waltz jumps in synch,” he suggested, slowing down to skate on Yuuri’s side. “And later we could do more pair figures, if you’d like.”

Yuuri smiled, feeling his cheeks blush. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

It took them a while to get it in synch, but they agreed that was the most fun they’d had in skating in a long time.

They did some showing off as well – Victor could do camel spins, which Yuuri watched in awe, and when Victor tried to teach him how to do his 3-turns fast enough to build up momentum Yuuri almost fell. But Yuuri wasn’t a total disaster – he was able to show off how fast his upright spins were and some solo dance moves Victor didn’t know, teaching him step by step so they could do those together.

They took a break after an hour to drink water and think about what else they could try. Much to Yuuri’s relief, their evening was flying by and lasting an eternity at the same time. He never ceased to amaze Yuuri.

“More pair figures!” Victor said with childlike excitement, tossing his empty bottle of water in the trash and holding Yuuri’s hand again.

Yuuri squeezed his hand.

“What about a forward spiral now? You hold me and I lead.” Victor said as he lead them back to the rink with a confused Yuuri in tow. Before Yuuri could even answer, Victor took both his hands and placed them on his waist and blabbered something about pair skating Yuuri couldn’t quite catch over the sound of blood rushing in his ears.

This was the most touching Yuuri had ever done in a date with someone this cute. He was at a loss for words.

Victor said something Yuuri knew he should have probably paid attention to, but he just _couldn’t_ , feeling a little overwhelmed by the fact that they were seriously doing pair skate figures _on a date_.

“... got it?”

“C-cool,” Yuuri stammered, barely registering what Victor was talking about. If he paid close enough attention, Yuuri was pretty sure he’d figure it out without any problems  – how difficult could couple spirals be?

Difficult, apparently. They required much more focus than doing them solo, needing extra attention to not push or pull each other off balance. Victor was a steady reference in front of him, skating fast and pulling them forward with his long, strong legs, holding Yuuri’s hands in place around his waist.

“Ready? I’m going to lean forward,” Victor asked over his shoulder, earning a nod in response.

They moved together, making a nice, open curve along the edge of the rink, and Yuuri found himself smiling at how nice it felt, gliding effortlessly and so close to Victor that he could smell a faint whiff of his floral cologne. Spirals were always fun, but doing it with someone else – with _Victor_ – felt inexplicably magical, and they were apparently doing a good job as Yuuri caught some eyes watching them from across the rink.

Unfortunately, his lapse in focus came with a price. Yuuri wasn’t sure what happened, but while he was distracted looking around them, he _might_ have tugged on Victor’s waist and made their skates collide.

It all happened too fast, and Yuuri barely had the time to process Victor’s yelp before they were rolling on the floor, a tangled mess of limbs.

“Oh, God, I’m so sorry,” Yuuri said, leaning on his elbow. “I’m sorry, I didn’t… Are you OK?”

To his relief, Victor was laughing. It wasn’t like the cute giggles Yuuri had heard before, but a full _guffaw_ , carefree and sincere, folding him in half as he made no effort to stand up and free up the rink for other skaters.

Yuuri felt his cheeks flare up as he watched Victor laugh. No one had the right to be this adorable when laughing, he thought, and before Yuuri knew it, he was laughing too, still holding on to Victor, their legs tangled as they laughed, slowly working on standing up.

“I didn’t even notice we were falling at first,” Victor chuckled, dusting his legs as Yuuri helped him stand. “I’m fine, my butt cushioned the fall. Are you okay, though?”

Yuuri smiled, taking the hand Victor offered. There was a dull pain in his hip, he noticed, but it was gone by the time he realized Victor was still holding his hand, eyes trained on him with a sweet smile that made Yuuri’s cheeks burn and _god_ Victor was still holding his hand and he was standing _so close_ Yuuri’s brain was going to short-circuit at any—

“Yuuri…” Victor said, his palm soft and delicate, and Yuuri’s heart started racing as Victor ran the pad of his thumb over the back of his hand.

He was at a loss for words.

Victor was so close. All it would take is wrapping his arms around his neck and going for it. _Do the first move_ , Phichit’s voice echoed in his mind as Yuuri squeezed Victor’s hand a little, lips trembling as he searched for words to answer a _simple_ question.

“Can you guys move, please?” A woman skating by them called, and Yuuri realized how close to the rink’s entrance they were standing.

“Y-Yeah, sorry,” he stammered, skating aside with Victor so people could enter and leave the rink.

His hand was still in Victor’s, their chests close and heaving and Yuuri _really_ wanted to pull him for a kiss.

“Yeah, I’m… I’m fine,” he ended up saying, smiling awkwardly at Victor.

“Oh…” Victor said, lowering his eyebrows in disappointment. “OK, good. Maybe you, um… Do you want to take a break and eat something? Have a coffee?”

 _Good job, Yuuri, he was clearly expecting you to kiss him_. “Yeah, sure,” Yuuri smiled nervously, taking Victor by his hand and leaving the rink.

 

* * *

 

Hours seemed to fly past, and Yuuri only realized how tired he was once they took another break to drink some water and sit down, gliding playfully while squatting and pushing each other. Victor would not stop smiling, skating around Yuuri as he took a break and finished his water, blabbering about their love for skating.

Too soon it was time to leave. They fetched their things from the dressing room, grabbed some coffee, and left the rink, sweaty but happy. They still weren’t ready to part ways, so it was a relief to find out that they caught buses at the same stop. There was still time, Yuuri thought to himself, trying to muster the courage to pull Victor into a hug, and hopefully get a soft kiss he’d been dreaming of for the past week.

While they’d had a lot of fun together, it still felt like there was something missing. It was a date, after all, and while they _had_ held hands and been adorable together Yuuri would be lying if he didn’t admit he’d been hoping to do a little more than that today.  Both he and Victor were endless teases, flirting shyly and laughing cheekily, but neither of them had actually made a _real_ move. Holding hands and smiling at each other was the closest either had gotten, but it felt like both were waiting on the other to make a move.

And it was like Yuuri was giving himself a sermon in his head. _You want to kiss him, he obviously wants to kiss you, why don’t you just do it?_

Easier said than done. Looking at Victor and wanting to kissing him was like looking at an expensive jewelry Yuuri couldn’t afford, but wanted so dearly.

When they were close enough to the bus stop they could see it, Yuuri felt that familiar anxiety stirring deep in his chest that came with important decisions in his life – like when he’d boarded on his flight to study in a foreign country, the second before he started a new choreography, or the moment he stood in front of his classmates to present a project.

He’d do it. He’d kiss Victor. If Victor didn’t pull him by his scarf and make out with him against the streetlight pole he would do it.

And just when Yuuri was about to pull Victor close, Victor let go of his hand to adjust his scarf.

“Gosh, I’m so sweaty,” Victor laughed nervously, unwrapping his scarf to reveal his perfect neck. Yuuri made a mental note that he would very much like to kiss his neck, too.

Yuuri let the moment pass, silently wishing that Victor would catch onto his intent as he looked at Victor with his lips parted. Unfortunately, Victor apparently couldn’t read minds.

“Yeah, skating does that,” Yuuri commented under his breath, trying not to be too upset over the fact that Victor had let go of his hand.

So they stood there, at the bus stop, close enough to kiss but not touching _enough_ to do so, and even though Yuuri was having an internal debate over what he should do to change that he had to admit he was still enjoying himself. He was having a good time with Victor, exchanging impressions on the latest episode of a series they both watched, but there was a rather telling glint in Victor’s eyes that made Yuuri pretty sure that Victor was determined that Yuuri would take the next step.

“We should take our poodles with us on our next date,” Victor commented as if talking about the weather, and Yuuri was floorless for a second. The smile tugging at the corner of Victor’s lips – those gorgeous, tempting lips – letting him know that Yuuri’s surprise hadn’t gone unnoticed. “I’m sure they would get along pretty well.”

“ _Next_ date?” Yuuri echoed, hopeful, making Victor giggle.

“I mean… If you’d like—”

“I—Of course,” Yuuri nodded, eyes flickering between Victor’s smile and his hands. “I thought…”

He trailed off. It was easier to keep it to himself, even though the weight of Victor’s eyes were almost like a physical touch on him.

“You thought I might not want to go on a date with you because we didn’t… uh... do what... people do on dates?”

Suddenly, staring at their feet was a much more interesting thing to do, mostly because Yuuri had no clue of what he was trying to say, and was blushing too furiously to bear Victor's gaze without combusting.

“I just don’t want you to get bored of me,” Yuuri murmured, barely audible enough for Victor to hear.

Next thing he felt were Victor arms wrapping around him in a hug and pulling him in, pressing his cheek fast against his chest where Yuuri could hear his heart beating, steady and comforting.

“I’ll never get tired of you, Yuuri,” Victor whispered on the top of his head, and Yuuri _knew_ it was just a matter of turning his head to look at Victor that they could kiss. It was _that_ easy. “I’ve had the most fun with you today than I’ve had in all my time here. It was a wonderful date, and I hope you want to go on a date with me again some time. It was...”

And from the corner of his eye Yuuri saw a bus coming.

“Oh…” He heard Victor sigh as he slumped his shoulders. “It’s my bus,” he pulled back to look at Yuuri. “Yuuri… I _really_ enjoy spending time with you.”

Yuuri smiled back sweetly, proud that Victor was saying all those things and still holding him in his arms. There was a hint of anxiety brewing in his chest, but finding himself in Victor’s arms had an inexplicable soothing power over him, as if Yuuri could think more clearly with him this close.

“Me too, Victor.”

Yuuri didn’t miss a blush spreading on his cheeks. He curled his fingers on his coat’s lapels, holding Victor’s gaze with his lips parted, pressing his body against Victor’s.  

“I’ll text you when I’m home,” and despite his words, Victor was circling his arms around Yuuri tighter, pulling him into his hug. “I’m… sorry if I was awkward. See you—“

Yuuri pulled him by his coat’s lapels into a kiss. Clumsy, at first, an urgent, delightful press of lips, both of them holding their breaths, not quite believing it was really happening, making them giggle. In response, Victor cradled Yuuri’s head in his hand as if he’d been waiting for this for forever, fingers digging into his soft hair, tilting his head just enough so they could deepen their kiss.

They heard when Victor’s bus passed by them, but didn’t really caring too much about it, too busy committing the shapes and tastes of their lips to memory, breaths mingling between them. Victor’s lips were soft and tasted like the coffee they’d shared back at the rink, and Yuuri was quick to learn his bottom lip was wonderful to nibble on, and Victor liked it when he did. Yuuri would also learn that he loved it when Victor’s fingers threaded through his hair, massaging his scalp gently as he guided Yuuri to tilt his head just a _little_ for him to capture Yuuri’s bottom lip between his.

“Sorry you’ve missed your bus,” Yuuri breathed as they parted lips, smiling like fools, and Victor bumped his forehead on his.

“No,” Victor chuckled, shaking his head. “ _Thank you_.”

“There is a, uh… Thai restaurant, near my place, that’s really good. Would you… Would you like to join me for dinner?”

Victor smiled, placing a quick peck on Yuuri’s lips.

“I’d love that.”

**Author's Note:**

> That was it! I had a lot of fun working on this piece for my first big fic-writing event like this~
> 
> You can follow me on [tumblr (vityanikiforova)](http://vityanikiforova.tumblr.com) and [twitter (cutesudon)](http://twitter.com/cutesudon)! Thanks for reading <3


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